Annealing apparatus



M 9: RV, 2 uw.. MM r m 4. R. l iiw-- 1 1 R L WV A :N, n .m m 1 V R m 1 l x w m w m u e 1 M u w 6 A e W W l F l M F C. a\| 2 l 4 9 al w, im l ,1511K llllllllllll Patented Feb. 10, 1942 AN NEALIN G APPARATUS Carl W. Maurer, Freeport, N. Y.,V and Arthur E. J., asslgnbrs to Western Winey, Plainfield, N. Electric Company, N. Y.,'a corporation Incorporated, New York, of New York Application July 1, 193s, serial No. 216,910

(ci. 4in- 47) V 7 Claims.

This invention relates to an annealing apparatus and more particularly to a stem making machine and an apparatus operatively associated therewith for annealing stems made thereby.

In the art of making stems for vacuum tubes, lamps, and the like it is frequently desirable to anneal such stems as they are taken from the stem making machine by passing them through a separate annealing apparatus capable of applying an annealing temperature to the stems for a suitable length of time. In order to move the stems through such annealing apparatus at the speed the stems are removed from the stem making machine and keep the stems therein the required length of time anannealing apparatus of considerable length is required.

An object of the invention is to provide an annealing apparatus operatively associated with an article forming apparatus to eciently anneal the articles produced thereby.

With this and other objects in view the invention comprises an annealing apparatus substantially surrounding a stem making machine,

the apparatus including a rotating spider, having removable segments to accommodate different sizes of stems, operatively associated with the driving mechanism for the stem making machine, a guard for the spider adjacent positions where the stems are inserted and removed therefrom, and tracks for removing the stems from the spider and directing them to a container.

Other objects and advantages will be appar- -ent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. l is a top plan view of the apparatus, i1- lustrating its operative association with a stein making machine;

Fig. 2 is a iront elevational view of thatshown in Fig. 1, portions thereof being shown in section, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary tcp plan view of a stem supporting element illustrating removable segments to accommodate stems of diierent sizes.

Referring .new to the drawing, numeral l designates a stem making machine, which is only shown dagrammatically as a detailed structure thereoi is not believed necessary for a clear understanding of the invention. Furthermore, thetype ci stem making machine is not important and may be for :making stems for incandescent lamps, vacuurn tubes and the like.

the stem making machine I0 has a turret Il with chucks I2 disposed at predetermined spaced positions about its periphery lor receiving arti.

`eral contour, with spaced article receiving In the present embodiment. ci" the invention notches 20 formed by projections 2| around the outer periphery thereof and gear teeth 22 formed around the inner periphery thereof, is mounted for rotation about its axis upon a suitable support such as annular flange 23 mounted in the oven I8, and if so desired having rollers 24 for the element to rest upon. A plurality of idler gears 28, mounted upon stub shafts 29 iournalled in bearing brackets 30, interengages the teeth 22 of the element I9 to assist the element in its rotary movement and prevent lateral displacement there'of. The bearing brackets 30 may be secured to any suitable support or to the housing of the stem making machine as shown. A driving gear 32 similar in size to the gears 23 is xed to a shaft 33 which is also journalled in a suitable bearing-bracket. The gear 32 inter-4 engages the teeth 22 to the element I9 and is driven intermittently by a pawl 35 and a ratchet 36. The ratchet 36 is fixed to the shaft 33, While the pawl 35 is pivotally mounted upon the outer end of a lever 81, the inner end of which is mounted free to rotate upon the shaft 33. Suitable spring means (not shown) may be employed to normally urge the free ends of the pawl toward and into engagement with the ratchet Wheel 36. A link connects the outer end of the lever 31 to one end of a cam lever 41, the latter being pivoted at 62-with its other end positioned to be engaged by a cam 43 xedly mounted upon the shaft i5.

In the present embodiment of the invention the annealing oven it, although annular in general contour, has its front portion cut away as shown ln-Fig. l. A guard 4B, U-shaped vin cross section, is positioned to fill up this cut away portion to protect the operator against contact with the element i9, there remaining, however, cut away portions in the top of the oven at both sides ofthe guard to provide for feeding and unloading apertures 5G and 5i, respectively. If desired the oven may be complete in its annular contour and cut away only at the apertures 50 and 5I, in which structure the guard 48 would not be used. The aperture 50 is positioned so that the stems may be inserted in the notches of the .element I8 without possibility of the operator coming into contact with the heated element.

AAn anular ange 53, rigidly mounted in the oven and extending throughout'the circular distance of the oven adjacent the wall opposite the gears, assists in supporting the element I9 but is mainly employed to limit the movement of the articles or stems I3 relative to the element, making it impossible for the articles to become free of the element during their circuitous travel through the oven. At the outlet end of the oven 5I a pair of tracks 55 is disposed in arcuately parallel arrangement with their inner ends positioned one upon each side of the' path of travel of the stems I3 and curving outwardly away from the element and downwardly therefrom to automatically remove the stems from the grooves of the element and direct them to a container (not shown positioned therebeneath.

The element I9 may be provided with grooves 20 of sufficient size to receive the largest type of article or stem to be treated, but may be conditioned for receiving stems of smaller sizes by removably securing segments 60 thereto, these segments having notches 6I of the size desired positioned over the notches 20.

The oven may be heated tothe desired temperature by suitable heating means (not shown) for annealing articles or stems I3. These stems are formed of glass and in order to perform a satisfactory annealing operation the stems must be subjected to a desired temperature for a predetermined length of time. In other words, the annealing operation `requires considerably more time than is required to produce the stem by the stem making machine. For this reason the speed of travel of the element I9 is much slower than that of the turret II although they are both driven from the same means, namely the shaft I5.

During the operation of the apparatus the shaft I5 is driven, causing each rotation of the cam 43 to rock the lever 4I to impart an oscillatory motion to the lever 3l which, through the pawl 35 and rat-Chet 36, causes rotation of the gear 32 to move the element I9 a distance of one notch 20. This movement of the element I9 takes place during the movementof the turret II from one position to the other so as to position an empty notch 20 adjacent the aperture 50 to receive a stem from the turret. This operation continues and during movement of the stems through the oventhey are held against displacement by the member 53 and are subjected to the annealing temperature until they reach the outlet aperture 5I, where they will engage the tracks 55 and be removed from the element.

. In this embodiment of the inventionY the annealing apparatus utilizes substantially the same iloor space as the stem making machine, utilizes the driving means of the machine to drive the article supporting element, and as a result of the driving connection the apparatus is operated at a speed necessary to present an empty groove in the elementat the intake aperture 50 as the stems on the turret II are completed. Therefore, without additional work for the operator in charge of the stem making machine the stems may be annealed.

' The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is illustrated only and may be widely modified and departed from in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An annealing apparatus comprising an annular element having article' receiving notches in the periphery thereof and teeth formed in the inner surface thereof, an annealing oven housing the major portion of the element and having inlet and voutlet apertures through which articles may be respectively inserted into the notches and removed therefrom, stationary means extending from the inlet aperture to the outlet aperture in theoven to effectively close the notches to maintain the articles therein against displacement while in the oven, a rotatable gear extending into the yoven and interengaging the -said teeth, and means disposed externally of the oven to cause rotation ofthe gear to cause movementV of the element to move the articles' through the oven. Y v f 2. An annealing apparatus lcomprising an' annular element having article receiving notches Ain the periphery thereofand teeth formed in the inner surface thereof, an annealing oven housing the major portionof the element and having inlet and outlet apertures through which articles may b e-respectively inserted into .the notches and removed therefrom, stationary means extending from the inlet aperture to the outlet aperture in the oven to effectively close the notches to maintain the articles therein against displacement while in the oven, a rotatablegear extending into the oven and interengaging the said teeth, means to cause rotation of the gear to causevmovement of the element to move the articles through the oven, and means at the outlet aperture tol remove the articles successively from the notches and from the oven.

3. An annealing apparatus comprising an annular element havngartlcle receiving notches in the periphery thereof and teeth formed in the inner surface thereof, an annealing oven housing the major portion of the-element and having inlet and outlet apertures through-which articles may be respectively inserted. intoV the notches and removed therefrom,v means extending from the inlet aperturev to the outlet aperture inthe oven to effectively ,close the notches to maintain the articles therein against displacement while in the oven, a rotatable gear extending into the oven and interengaging the said teeth, means disposed externally of the oven to cause rotation of the gear to cause movement of the element to move the articles through the oven. and a pair of tracks extending from the oven from positions at each side of the adjacent notches to remove the articles successively from the notches and from the oven.

4. An annealing apparatus` comprising an annular element having notches in the periphery l thereof to receive articles of one size, segments removably secured to the "element and having notches differing in size from the notches of the element and spaced to register therewith to receive articles of other sizes, an'annealing oven housing the major portion of the element and having inlet and outlet apertures through which articles may be respectively inserted ,into the notches and removed therefrom, and means to stationary thereof to receive articles of one size, segments removably secured to the element and having notches differing in size from the notchesof the.

element and spaced to register therewith to receive articles of other sizes, an annealing oven .housing the major portion of the element and having inlet and outlet apertures through which articles may be respectively inserted into the notches and removed therefrom, ,stationary means extending from the inlet aperture to the outlet aperture in the oven to effectively close the notches' to maintain the articles therein against displacement while in the oven, and means to cause movement of the element to move the articles through the oven.

6. The combination with a machine for making articles including a turret having article forming positions and means to rotate the turret to move the articles successivelyto a nal forming position, of an annealing apparatus comprising an annular element extending around the said machine and having notches in the periphery thereof to receive the articles and teeth formed in the inner surface thereof, an annealing oven housing the major portion of the element and having inlet and outlet apertures through which articles may be respectively inserted into the notches and removed therefrom,

a rotatable gear extending into the oven and interengaging the said teeth, and means oper-k ati'vely connected to the rotating means to rotate the gear and cause movement of the elementI the distance of one notch for each movement of the turret from one positionto another to present a vacant notch for each article at the iinal forming position. r

7. 'I'he combination with a machine for making articles including a turret having article forming positions and means to rotate the turret to move the articles successively to a iinal forming position, of an annealing apparatus comprising an annular element extending around the said machine and having notches in the periphery thereof to receive the articles and teeth formed in the inner surface thereof,

an annealing oven housing the major portion of the element and having inlet and outlet apertures through which articles may be respectively inserted into the notches and removed there ik from, a rotatable gear extending into the oven and interengaging the said teeth, means operatively connected to the rotating means to rotate the gear and cause movement of the element l the distance of one notch for each movement of the turret from one position to another to present a vacant notch for each article at the iinal forming position. and vmembers entering the outlet aperture and disposed at opposite sides of the notches in the element to remove the articles successively from the oven.

CARL W. MAURER. ARTHUR E. WINEY. 

